


interlude

by asynchrony



Series: nothing's been the same [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Flashbacks, Iron Man 3 Spoilers, Mental Health Issues, PTSD, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-26
Updated: 2013-05-26
Packaged: 2017-12-13 00:50:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/818020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asynchrony/pseuds/asynchrony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pepper and Tony and fragments of the time between New York and Extremis.</p><p>Alternately, how Pepper tries to deal with Tony when he's both suffering and insufferable, when loving each other as much as they do just isn't enough to keep the nightmares at bay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**day 0**

She’s refreshing the news app on her phone yet again and wondering if Happy’s already waiting for her when she sees the familiar figure in a rumpled suit pacing near the arrival gate and she grinds to a halt. 

“Hey, Pepper, hey,” he murmurs by her ear, rubbing her back (and when had he noticed her, let alone gotten so close?), “it’s okay. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. I’m safe. I’m fine.” He babbles on for a bit, _safe, fine, here, alive_ , the words cascading over her in a rush of meaningless noise, and she just grips his lapels tight and presses her nose into the crook of his neck until she feels steady enough to pull away. He smells like metal and blood and something more, the tendrils of something huge and old and _desolate_ and she wonders for a moment whether the smell is aliens or space and whether it could be marketed. (The woes of being CEO - her nose for profit never gives her a break.) 

“Pep?” Tony cuts into her thoughts, voice a little smaller than usual.  
“Yeah,” she bites out, “I’m- I just,” gesturing between them and noticing the crumpled paper bag Tony’s holding in the process. “What’s that?”  
He blinks, frowning down at it for a moment, and hands it to her. “We, I mean, I guess we’re the Avengers now, something about the codename got leaked or something and the news is calling us that anyway, but what I mean is we went and got shawarma right after I - after everything was done, and then Happy told me you were on your way here, so-”

And the absurdity of it all suddenly hits her - she’s clutching cold takeaway food in an airport that is otherwise under lockdown with the love of her life who’s just basically survived a kamikaze mission into _outer space_ and still has half-dry blood on his face and _how is this her life_ \- and the fit she dissolves into is something she’s not sure can be classified as either laughter or sobs.

“Uh. Pep?” Tony’s hovering now, looking concerned but unsure whether to touch her.  
“I’m fine,” she manages. “ _You’re_ fine.”  
“Yeah. I’m fine.” He smiles tenderly at her for a moment, then she sees that new-idea spark light up his eyes before he even starts talking. “Oh, hey, what do you think about remodelling Stark Tower, I mean, the aliens did half the work for us alread- too soon? No? Anyway, I was thinking of adding shockproofing to the structures in...”  
Pepper just laughs and lets him lead her to the car. This is classic Tony, and that, more than any of his prior strange sobriety, lets her know they really will be fine.


	2. Chapter 2

**day 2**

The plans for rebuilding are going wonderfully; it’s only been a few hours since they were cleared to move back in, and Tony and Jarvis have already spent most of those designing and redesigning the modifications to the Tower. She’s dropping in with food after an emergency meeting when Tony pulls her over and, almost shyly, shows her the plans for accommodating the rest of the Avengers. 

She’s elated when she realizes what that means, and kisses him, hoping that it manages to convey her excitement for him and his new-found team. From the way he lights up, she thinks it does.  
“I’ll remember not to let workmen use your elevator this time,” she grins, and the last thing she expects is the way Tony pales and drops his wineglass.  
“Oh god, Coulson.”  
“Phil? Oh, yeah, he took that elevator once, but what-”  
“He’s dead.” Tony drops his head into his palms, takes a few shuddering breaths. “He- Loki stabbed him right through, back to front. He died trying to save the world, Pepper, you don’t- Phil was a _hero_ , as much as Cap is, he _died_ -”   
He cuts himself off and looks up at her, teary and shaking, and she instinctively gathers him into her arms and rocks the both of them silently in their shared grief.

“You’re a hero too, y’know,” she whispers when she calms down.   
He stiffens and pulls away from her. “No, I’m not.”  
“You said he was trying to save the world, how are you any diff-”  
“Pepper,” he pleads, and his voice breaks on the second syllable. “I don’t want to talk about it- about him. _Please._ ”  
She nods dumbly, and goes back to carding her hands through his hair until he relaxes again.

Nearly an hour later, he murmurs into her blouse, “He deserved to be the one to survive.”

Mostly asleep, she slurs, “I know.”


End file.
